Toy telephone



April 23, 1935.

D. ALLEN TOY TELEPHOLNE Filed July 26, 195s Patented 23, 1935 v c Q i II UNITED?" STATES "PATENT OFFICEY Harold D. Allen; East Hamptn,1Conn.,a'ssignor to .The Gong Bell Manufacturing Company,

East Hampton; (John, "a corporation of Connecticut I 1 2 ApplicationJuly20,i1933, Serial No; 681,290

' s Claims. (01. 46-46) My invention relates to'that class of toys whichA bridge l6 in the formof a strip of metal exare made in imitation oftelephone instruments, tends-across an opening I! in the top of "the andan object of my invention, among others, base, the back end of saidstrip being slotted is the production of a toy of this type having toreceive the rod 14 whereby this end of the means for the electricaloperation of signals of bridge is clampedbetween the spacer l5 and the 5various sorts which may be taken as calling sigupper part of the case 9.[The opposite end of nals to Show to the child playing'with the toy thebridge hasaclip I8 which is upturned through that'the operation of thecalling devices has a hole "near the edgeof th op n a produced results.7 on c g V shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. A transparent 7 l Q 10 Oneform of a toy embodying my invention and disk l 9 coversthe opening ITin the base, this 10 in they construction and use of which the objectsdisk being'clamped at its edges betweenthe bridge herein set out, asWell as others may be attained lfi'and the table ID of the case, theclip is passis illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in ing throughsaid disk on one side to secure the Which- Y 1 disk in place, I

Figure 1 f View of my improved toy" A dialing disk is rotatablysupported above telephone. the table glfi, in the construction hereinshown a Figure Z is'a side view of thesame. spacingpost 2| being rivetedat itslower end to Figure 3 is a top view of thesame, the'bridgje l6,extending upwardly therefrom, and

t Figure 4 is a top view on enlarged scale of the disk 2Q beingsupported on the upper end of 20 the base plate of my improved toytelephone Said post. Said diskis rotatably secured as byao with theoperative parts mounted thereon. means Of a v 22 extending downwardlyFigure 5 is a view on enlarged scale'in central through the post 2| andsecured to the bridge in vertical section through the base of myimproved any suitable manner, the opposite end of said toy telephone ona, plane denoted by the dotted headjbeing shouldered to provide a spacefor the line 55 of Figure l. v g disk 20between said shoulder and'asecuring nut 25 t Figure. 6 is a detail side view with parts broken c toenable the 'latterfto be freely rotated. Said awayto illustrate amodified form of my improved disk has a stop fi r 3 bent downwardly o etoy. j i a r g g I gage a stop24 bent upwardly from the bridge l6, Thepurpose of this inventlon is to provide a and as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawing. The disk toyftelephone having'mean's-fo'r clearly showing 20 isprovided with finger openings 25 and a re- 30 to a child playing withthe toy that its efforts turning spring 26 surrounds the post 2| said inoperatingthe telephone'signalling devices are spring'being'secured atoneend to the bridge 16 eifective in operating signals which may be ofand at its opposite end to the dialing disk 20 as a various sortsandwhich may be arranged in vari-, means for returning said disk to itsposition of ous places upon the toy'and which may be oprest when it hasbeen moved from such position 35 erated in different ways, my improvedtoy, as as by insertion of the fingers of the operator in shown in thedrawing herein, embodying a base the openings 25. An operating plunger21 passes composed ofva base plate 8 and a shell or case downwardlythrough the sleeve 22, the outer end 9, the base preferably having anupturned flange of the plunger having a button 28 as a means for gwithin which the lower edge of the shell or case operatingthe plunger; Aresilient "switch blade 40 :is located, and as shown'in Fig. 5 of thedrawing. 29, preferably integrally formed with a support- The case ismade to resemble the base portion ing post 30, extends underneath theinner end of v 55 the post to secure and fasten said parts together.part of the end of a cell 36 that formsone pole of a regular telephoneinstrument and comprises the plunger 21, the post 30 being secured tothe a table Ill that "slopes downwardlytoward the base plate 8 andinsulated therefrom; An infront. A post ll is secured to the, top of thesulating 'disk3l is secured to the blade to receive 45 case atthe backthereof said post supporting a pressure of the plunger 21. An electriclamp 32 bracket l2 to receive the hand set or monophone is secured, totheblade 29 andaconductor 33' is [3 of the so-c'alled FFrench type ofinstrument. locatedv underneath the lamp to receive pressure The bracketis secured to the post and the post of the central terminal thereof, theshell of the to the case as by means of a rod l4, headed at lamp beingelectrically connectedwith the blade 50 its upper .end, andpassingfthrough thebra'cket 29." The conductor 33 is grounded onthebase.

and post into the chamber in the case, through I The post 30 ispreferably formed integrally with a spacer I5 in said chamber andthrough thebase and upstands from a conductor plate 34 having a plate 8,a nut being secured'to the loWerend of contact finger ;35extendingupwardly against that thereof. The cell is held in place as by means ofspring clips projecting upwardly from a base which is secured to thebase plate 8. The opposite pole 38 of the battery is grounded on thebase plate 8 as by means of a conducting finger 39 extending upwardlyfrom a conducting strip 5! secured to said base plate.

A bell M or other sounding signal is mounted on the base plate and issounded by means of a striker 5-2 located at one end of armature 43which extends across one pole of a magnet .4 which is secured to amagnet support is fastened to and projecting upwardly from the base. Oneend of the magnet winding 5'3 is secured to a contact l'i located in thepath of movement of the switch blade The other end of said winding issecured to a conductor it projecting from the cage of the magnetdownwardly to a point opposite a spring finger to which the armature 43is attached, said finger being secured to post rising from the baseplate 8, said post and the conducting finger rising preferably fromopposite ends of a strip 5i which is secured to the base.

In the operation of the device thus far explained the dialing disk maybe operated in a manner common to the dialing disks of ordinarytelephones, the disk being moved in one direction by insertion of thefingers into the openings and upon release the spring returning the diskto its normal position with the stop finger 23 resting against the stop24.

The signalling mechanism is operated by means of the button 28 which ispushed downwardly causing the 253 to touch the contact 41, therebyconnecting the opposite poles of the cell 35 by a circuit comprising thefinger plate 3 1, switch blade contact d1, through the winding of themagnet and the conductor 48, to the spring finger 43, which, by itsresiliency, is held against the contact on the conductor 48. From thespring 29 the circuit continues to the strip 5!, or the base plate 8,and thence by the finger 39 to the pole 38 of the battery. Thisestablishing of the circuit excites the magnet M and causes the armatureto be rapidly vibrated in a manner that will be readily understood.

By pressing the button 28 further downwardly, which is ermitted by theresilie" cy of the switch blade 29, the central terminal. of the lamp 22will contact with the conductor thereby establishing the circuit by wayof the finger 35, plate 34, and switch blade 23, as before described, tothe lamp 32, through said lamp to the conductor 33 and thence to thebase plate 3, thereby establishing a ground connection to the pole 38 ofthe battery. The bridge 56 is provided with openings 52, this to permitthe light from the lamp 32 to shine through the transparent disk [9 atthose portions of said disk not covered by said bridge.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the principal parts of the mechanismare as hereinbefore described, but are somewhat differently located, theswitch blade 29 being operated by means of a plunger 53 movablelengthwise in the post H and supporting the bracket E2. The resiliencyof the switch blade 29 holds the bracket E2 in araised position andwhenthe bracket is pushed down, as by pressure on the hand set, the rodforces the switch blade 28 against a contact 54 secured to and risingfrom the base but insulated therefrom. A conductor 55 extends from thecontact 54 and is branched, one'branch 56 extending to a contact 5'! forthe lamp 58 his e which is supported on the post I I. One terminal ofthe lamp is grounded on the frame. Another branch 58 of the conductor 55extends to one terminal of the magnet 60 supported by the post H, theother terminal of the magnet being grounded on the post or frame. Themagnet operates a bell 6! supported on the post and in the mannerhereinbefore described with respect to the bell M. The details of theringing mechanism are not illustrated in connection with the device ofFigure 5 as it will be understood readily by those skilled in the artand particularly from the foregoing description.

In the use of the device just described either the push button 28 or theplunger 53 may be made use of to operate the signals 58 or 6!, thecircuit constituting the finger 35, base 34, post 30, plate 29, contact54, branch 59 to the magnet which is grounded thereby and the finger 39to the central terminal of the cell. The circuit to the lamp alsofurther includes the branch 56, contact 5?, lamp filament and shell tothe post II which is grounded thereby and the finger 39 to the centralterminal of the cell.

I claim:

1. A toy telephone instrument including a base, a. post rising from thebase for support of a simulation of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric circuit including a switch member, a switch operating membermovably mounted on said instrument, a plurality of electrical devicesincluded in said circuit, and a contact appurtenant to each of saiddevices and positioned to be successively engaged by said switch member.

2. A toy telephone instrument including a base, a post rising from thebase for support of a simulation of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric circuit including a switch member located within said base, aswitch operating member movably mounted in said base above other devicestherein, and a. lamp carried by said switch member above the bottomthereof for um'estricted illumination of the underside of the top ofsaid base upon closing of said switch.

3. A toy telephone instrument including a. base, a post rising from thebase for support of a simulation of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric circuit including a switch member located in said base, aswitch operating member movably mounted within said base above thebottom thereof and, a transparent sheet to close an opening in the topof said base and overlying said member, and an electric lamp attached tosaid switch member above the bottom thereof and underneath saidtransparent sheet for unrestricted illumination by movement of saidswitch operating member of the under surface of the top of said base.

4. A toy telephone instrument including a base, a post rising from thebase for support of a simulation of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric circuit including a switch member located within said baseabove other devices therein, a transparent sheet to close an opening insaid base, a simulation of a dialing disk rotatably mounted on said baseover said transparent sheet, a lamp attached to said switch member abovethe bottom thereof for unrestricted illumination by the closing of theswitch of the under surface of said sheet, and a switch operating membermovably mormted on said instrument.

5. A toy telephone instrument including a base, a post rising from thebase for support of a simulation of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric circuit including a switch member, a transcuit including aswitchmember located in said to contact with said switch member, andalamp secured to said switch member for illumination upon the closing ofsaid switch.

6. A toy telephone instrument including a base, a post rising from thebase for support of a simulation of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric circuit including a movableswitch member, a

transparent sheet to closean opening in said base, a simulation of adialing disk rotatably mounted on said base, a bell including a magnetfor operation thereof located in the base and an electric circuitincluding said magnet, a contact appurtenant to said bell for engagementby said switch member, a lamp attached to said switch member, and acontact located in the path of movement of said lamp on said switchmember. 7. An instrument of the telephone type including a base, a postrising from the base for support of a transmitter and an ear piece, anelectric cirbase above other devices therein, a switch operating membermovably mounted on said instru ment, a transparent sheet bearing dialingnumbers to close an opening in the top of said base, andan electric lampattached to said switch member above the'bottom thereof and underneathtion of said transparent sheet and dialing numbers by operation of saidswitch operating member. l

8. An instrument of the telephone type including a base, a post risingfromthe base for support of atransmitter and an ear piece, an electriccircuit including a switch member located in said base above otherdevices therein, aswitch operating member movably mounted on saidinstrumerit, a transparentdisk bearing dialing numbers carried by theinstrument and an electric lamp attached to said switch member above the7 said transparent sheet for unrestricted illuminabottom thereofunderneath said transparent disk 20 for unobstructed illumination of thetransparent diskand dialing numbers by operation of said switchoperating member.

HAROLD D. ALLEN.

